Terrace roofs, valleys and the shared line
Older terraces here often have roofs that run along a whole row, with brick party walls and, between pitches, valley gutters that carry water down. Valleys and the junctions with chimney stacks are some of the most common places for leaks. Lead may split, cement fillets crack and slates slip when old fixings corrode.
A dripping ceiling in one house can be caused by a defect two doors along, so tracing the path of water takes patience. Because roofs are connected, neighbours may share some costs, and the Party Wall Act can apply to work on dividing walls. We look at the full line before settling on the cause.





